HURRICANE HITS SHIPS

Chronicle (Levin), 17 September 1948, Page 5

HURRICANE HITS SHIPS

(N.Z.P.A.-

-Reuter,

Six Lives Lost When Crew Abandons Vessei

Copyright)

Received Friday, 10.30 a.m. LONDON, Sept. 16. The crew abandoned the 7000ton New Zealand Shipping Company's ship Leicester in the Atlantic after it was struck by a hurricane September 14 when about 400 miles south-west of Cape Ray, Newfoundland. The vessei left London on Sep-j tember 4 for New York. Mountain-i ous seas caused the Leicester to: list 55 degrees before she Was-j abandoned. Thirty-nine survivors, ! including Captain H. N. Lawson,) took to the boats and were picked: up by the Argentine steamer Tropero and the American steamer Cecil N. Bean. Tlie rescue ships reported great difficulty in picking up the ■men, many of whom were floundering in heavy seas churned by a 70 mile an hour wind. Six of the Leicester's crew of 45 were lost. There was one New Zealander in the Leicester's crew. While this rescue was being carri'ed out, the American Coastguard cutter Bibb was racing to the assistance of the Portugiiese schooner Gaspar, which was in difficulties 900 miles east of Halifax. The Bibb eventually reached the Gaspar, which was taking water in the rough seas and, after some difficulty, effected the rescue of the Gaspar's crew. One man from the schooner Jiad previously been lost.